All That I Bleed is a progressive metal band hailing from Puerto Rico that plays a very progressive style similar to what Fates Warning might sound like colliding with late Rush. The music is very progressive, cold, and unflowing. This may sound negative, but I mean it in the descriptive sense. There isn't much about the music that is warm, and the songs are long enough to be disjointed when desired by the band. The music is driven by the chaotic guitar work of Oscar Quintana, who has obviously listened to a lot of progressive music and is well skilled at his instrument as is the bass player Jorge Venegas, who not only plays a hell of a bass, but also looks eerily like a certain singer of Fates Warning.

The band is certainly focused on the progressive element of their music as there are time and tempo changes at just about every turn but without becoming so complex that it can't be followed comfortably by the listener. The way I describe this music is about the sane way I would describe the way Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) plays and writes their music, in that he plays his rhythm and lead parts at the same time, alternating back and forth throughout the songs between chunking chords and short solos. The music can get almost too complex at times, but the band stays well under the excessive limit and gives just enough to tease, and then turns back to a more steady stream of easy-to-follow chord structures. The drumming is equally as chaotic and skilled as the other players, keeping a ton of times and beats in each song with ease, never trying to outdo the music or the other instruments, but being a contributing element to this intricate music. The use of keyboards is very limited, mostly to some strings and background sounds here and there, but the driving force here is the guitar.

Leonardo Rivera sounds and sings a lot like Ray Alder (Fates Warning) but mostly in tone and style only. His range stays steady in mid-range with little deviation throughout the disc, and is a competent and fitting singer for this style of music. His voice seems to be used as more of another instrument than it is out in the front of the music. Most bands who play their music a little more complex than most seem to sound this way - using the singer as another instrument instead of a "front man". Rivera is more focused on complementing the music rather than dominating it. I don't hear many vocal harmonies anywhere, unless I've missed one or two here and there, but for the most part, Leonardo is on his own with no assistance from backing harmonies although it lists the others as backing vocals.

The production is not bad as far as independent bands go, but it does have its limitations. It's a very thin sounding disc, with little bottom end. While the bass can easily be heard throughout the disc, it's a little woofer shy, as is the kick drum, which is basically non-existent. The drums can be heard but it's mainly the cymbals and snare drum, little else. The guitars are also limited, with not much heavy end on the sound, and the leads tend to sound a bit tinny because of this. The vocals are recorded dry, but are about where they should be and can easily be heard. The highlight of the disc is the 19:00 opus "Promise of Life" which is divided up into 5 chapters and truly shows off the band's jazzy influence and then turns into an all out progressive war amidst tons of different musical styles. The band also pulls out the keyboards here from piano to synth to organ. Rivera also struts his stuff as well, moving up and out of his normal range from the rest of the disc and sounding his best.

Overall, the disc is well done and definitely fits well in the progressive metal world. If every song had the intensity and might of "Promise Of Life", and the production was a bit heavier, the disc would sound more powerful and convincing. As it stands, this is a very good progressive metal release if you don't mind a few shortcomings here and there along the way.